Halflings
Halflings are one of the primary native species to Duniya, next to Humans and dwarves, after the fall of the Giant Empire. Wherever humans have set up societies, halflings are sure to be there in small numbers, though they also are known to establish their own communities exclusively populated with their own kind. However, culturally, the halfling folk enjoy existing in diverse environments. History Pre-First Age Prior to the beginning of the First Age, not much is recorded of halfling society. As much of the continent was dominated by warring clans of humans, orcs, goblinoids, and gnolls, with the dwarves secluded in their mountain strongholds, it is not surprising that little is recorded. The halflings, while cheery, can be very secretive when they choose to be and likely laid low until larger communities were organized and established. First Age Halflings joined the humans in many of the tribes established in the Tribal Republic, living symbiotically with them and the therians and shifters. Individuals would occasionally rise to prominence in these tribes, with some having earned the honor of receiving therian blood. Intermingling between humans and halflings rarely led to a biracial population, at least according to records. It is possible that such individuals blended into the human societies without much ado. Outside of the Tribal Republic, halflings were also very involved in the establishment of the Lone Kingdoms, joining the humans as a founding species. However, they rarely became heads-of-state or political icons, opting for more social roles and participating in the agricultural workforce. Some independent communities of halflings flourished during the First Age, but not many records have left their archives. Second Age With the accession of Akarui and Hiyokuna into the elven empires, humans were favored over halflings for employment in the empires, so the smaller species faced a decline in power and presence in the empires. Some individuals became disillusioned with the imperial campaigns taking over Duniya, leaving to start communities outside of the empires, with a few joining organizations like the Mushinkei to actively defy them. The turn of the First Age into the Second ushered in a shift in halfling culture from a more lackadaisical outlook into more determined involvement. Religion For the most part, halflings share religious practices with humans, though they are generally less fervent and devout. Being a more carefree and laid-back society, they are less pious, but also find ways to relate more personally to their respective religions. Language The eponymous language of the halflings shares its alphabet with the Common tongue, native to humans. It is a rarely taught language, one of the few things the halfling people withhold from sharing with the world at large. (An Earth language has not yet been selected as an approximation for Halfling.) Ethnicities Similarly to the humans, halflings are comprised of many different ethnic populations. Loftree Loftree halflings are the second largest population in the Tribal Republic after the Nopeun Namu humans. In particular, they were prominent demographics in the forest-dwelling tribes. Riverfoot The Riverfoot halflings are similar to the Nadee Lok humans in appearance. They get their name from having flourished in communities built near rivers, lakes, and other bodies of freshwater. Silkleaf Much like the Si Ye humans, the Silkleaf halflings experienced a rise in prominence after Hiyokuna's assimilation into eladrani society. Sunbough The Sunbough halflings correspond with the Taiyoko Sen humans, occupying much of the same regions of Duniya as them. Their name is derived from their communities relying on agriculture and farming territories. Undersouth The Duoi Nam humans live harmoniously with the Undersouth halflings in the tropical coastal areas of Duniya, establishing themselves as saltwater fishing communities. Diaspora While not in such great numbers as humans, halflings also experienced displacement into the elven realms by the time of the Second Age. Feywild Many halflings were ushered into the Feywild with the human refugees after the Battle of Hiyokuna. While many opted to return to the Graywild after the small war with the Mushinkei concluded, some remained with the human settlers. Halflings born in the Feywild are referred to as "feyborn" in the Common language, or "feino" in the Halfling language. Shadowild There have been very few reports of halflings being found in the Shadowild, as it is already rare for humans to be found there either. Player Mechanics The two mechanical builds for a halfling character are the lightfoot and stout builds. Neither build is tied to a particular ethnic background. Lightfoot In Duniya, the lightfoot halflings are often found in human societies when not among their own kind. They are prominent in some Republic tribes, but more in the Lone Kingdoms. Stout The stout halflings allegedly have dwarven blood in their family lines, which may be true as they are most often found in villages and tribes closest to the Dwarven Kingdoms. They are more likely than lightfoot halflings to remain in their own communities than mingling with other species.